The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1887-10-03

body of your husband, otherwise we can't
do it. We want to learn the actual cause or
DEATH
"Why, he died of heart disease. He has
been troubled with that for long time,
said the poor woman.
''Oh, he has, has he?' returned the dandy.
'Well we can't certify to that No autopsy
no certificate"
OF course his object was to secure body
for the dissecting knife. All the womans
entreatieS and pleadings were in vain. She
went home with heavy heart, and would
undoubtedly have given in to the cruel
demands of the doctor had not friend
advised her to appeal to the Board OF
Health She id so and was referred to
the Corouer's Office. There she was Informed
that the doctor must give her certificate,
and Coroner Eidman agreed to push the
matter through. The next day at noon,
two hours after the time set for the funeral,
the certificate was received. The under
taker had 10 hurry through with his
arrangements, and it was late in the after
noon when the start was made for the ceme-
terry. 1t was dark by the time they reached
there, and only through the kindness of the
keeper were they enabled to proceed with
the ceremony. Through the brutality Of
the doctor they had lost time and money
and had been plunged into anxiety.
Yet their experience was gentle compared
with that of many poor persons i'll New
York. Bellevue Hospital furnishes more
instances of aggravated cruelty OF this ma
ture than any other, although nearly all the
hospitals indulge in this style of blackmail
1t is really nothing less. The hospital doc
tors usual mode of obtaining compliance
with their demands is clearly a violation of
the criminal laws of the State and ought to
be punished as such. The friends of the de-
ceased patient are informed that unless they
agree to an autopsy they cannot get the
certificate. If they refuse to agree to this
and insist upon having the certlhcate the
doctors will give one; but they will, unless
afraid of the consequences, invariably at
tribute the cause of death to alcoholism,
although they are well aware that they are
thus certifying to falsehood.
In this way they wreak their petty re-
venge upon the poor persons who Go not
want to have the bodies of their relatives
cut to pieces The doctors know that such
death certificate will not be received by
| many of the best cemeteries, and take salts
| faction in preventing the poor relatives
from interring the body where they wish.
1t would seem at first glance that such
practices would not be permitted by the
elder doctors, who have regulations to lose,
and do not need to experiment upon the
dead bodies of the poor; but as matter OF
fact the men of real eminence are only con-
sulting physicians and have no control over
the conduct of the younger men.
Frequently the relatives, ignorant OF
their rights, submit to the demands of the
doctors. In speaking of this the chief clerk
of the Coroner's Office laid particular stress
upon the fact that in Bellevue, the city hos
pital, these outrages were most frequent.
There are always more unclaimed bodies
there than are needed for dissecting pur
poses, but the young physicians seem to
take pleasure in torturing the poor people.
The Coroners have frequently been called
upon to interfere in cases where the doctors
conduct was particularly outrageous. A
frequent trick, where it is known that the
relatives are making a fight for the body, is
to tell them that the doctor who had charge
of the case is out. That compels them to
call so frequently as to interfere seriously
with their work 1t has sometimes hap
pened that by this means a poor man has
lost his employment and been reduced to the
verge of starvation. Fiendish cruelty of
this kind needs correction by the strong
hands of the law.
EDWARD B. SANFORD.